Electric iron



April 14 E25.

A. M. Mac FARLAND ELECTRIC RON Filed March 23, 1922 wnnsssss; @s f/714 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 19,25n

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicEt ALLIS MACFARLAND, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOIRUIO` WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION F PENNSYL- VANIA ELECTRIC IRON.

Application filed March 23, 1922. Serial No. 545,979.

. resident of Willrinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented anew and useful Improvementin ElectricIrons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrically heated apparatus and particularly to electrically heated Hat irons and it has for one of its objects to provide a relatively simple 'and inexpensive heating element vfor an electric iron. A

Another of its objects is to provide a radiant heater for an electric iron which may be easily and quickly assembled in and disassembled `from its support.

Another of its objects is to provide a unitary heating element* for an electric iron which shall be easily removable from the iron in case itis necessary to repair the same.

Another of its objects is to provide a unitary heating element -for an electric iron embodying a novel construction -of terminal members.

In practising my invention, I provide a. refractory resistor supporting member for an electric iron having a plurality of parallel-extending grooves in the lower surface thereof, the refractory member being resiliently clamped against the uppery surface of the sole plate or working member of the iron. I provide a resistor member located in the grooves in the refractory member and I provide a pair of flat metallic terminal strips suitably securedagainst the upper surface of the refractory supporting member, each terminal strip being vprovided at the rear end thereof with a terminal pin which projects through the cover member of the iron.

orworlring member 12, a unitary heating element 13 and a cover member 14. A handle member 15 is suitably mounted on the cover member 14 by means o-f a plurality of handle straps 16 and 17, the lower ends of the two `straps being secured on the cover member 14 by rivets 18. A single machine bolt 19 projects through the cover member 14 and the unitary heating element 13, into the sole plate 12, and securely clamps the cover member 14 against the sole plate. A bowed spring member 20 is effective to resiliently press the unitary heating element 13 against the sole plate 12 and is held in place by the machine bolt 19, a spacing plate 21 being placed between the'member 21 and the cover. The sole plate 12 and the heating element 13 comprise what may be termed the body portion of the iron.

The unit-ary heating element 13 comprises a refractory resistor-supporting member 22 of substantially the same lcontour as the sole plate 12 but slightly smaller to provide suf ficient clearance between the edges of the member 22 and the inner adjacent surfaces of the cover member 14:. A plurality of laterally extending grooves 23, having enlarged inner portions 24, are provided in the under surface of the member 22, and 'a resistor member 25, comprising a helically wound wire, is located in the enlarged inner portions 24:.

Two terminal plates 26 on the upper surface of the refractory supporting member 22, the plate 26 being located in a groove or depreion 28 extending substantially longitudinally of the member 22, and the plate 27f`being located in a depression 29 extending longitudinally along a.'l portion 4of the? member 22 and the two plates being spaced apartlater'ally. A machine screw 31 extends upwardly through an opening' '32 in the refractory member 22 to operatively1 engage and securely hold the and 27 are locatedl forward end lof the plate 27 in the depresi of the plate 26 by a clamping screw 33 which clamping screw may, at the sam'e time, have its inner end project into a depression 34 in the front edge of the member 22 to prevent any warping or bending of the front end of the terminal plate 26 `during the operation of the iron. A machine screw 35 may be provided at the rear end of the plate 26 and have its inner end project into a depression 36 in the rear surface of the refractory plate 22 to hold the rear end of thel plate. 26 in its proper operative position on the member 22 and to prevent its warping during the operation of the iron. The other end of the resistor member 25 may be connected to the terminal plate 27 /by means ,of a clamping screw 37.

A Two terminal pins or prongs 38 are permanently secured on the rear portions of the terminal "plates 26 and 27 as by riveting or welding, the two plates 26 and 27 being provided with an integral portion 39 bent at an angle to the main ortions of the plates, the angle being such tfiat the terminal pieces 38 project outwardlythrough an opening 41 in the cover member 14 substantially parallel to one portion of the handle strap 17 to produce a pleasin appearance of that portion of the iron. n insulating block 42 may be provided to operatively surround the inner ortio'ns of the terminal pins 38 to maintain the two pieces in proper operative relation to each other and is also effective to hold the rear portion of the terminal plates 26 and 27 in their proper operative position on the refractory member 22.

The handle strap 17 is provided with an integral laterally extending portion 43 which may be bent around the terminal pieces 38 to provide a protecting cage or guard member therefor. q p

The refractory supporting member 22, the resistor member or heater 25, the terminal plates 26 and 27, together with the associate'd terminal pins 38 comprise a unitary heating element for the iron, which heating element may be easily and quickly placed in its proper operative position in the electric 'Iton or be quickly removed therefrom. The undercut grooves permit of easily and quickly placing the hel1cally wound resistor member` 25 in its proper operative position therein and also permit of easily and quickly removing a burnt-out or damaged resistor member and of replacing the same by a new one. The single bolt serves to hold the cover member on the sole plate and also. to, hold the unitary heating element in its proper o erative position longitudinally of the sole p ateand the, single resilient means provided is effective to press the unitary heating ele- Maaate ment against the upper surface of the sole plate.

rlhe under-cut grooves in the refractory resistor-support permit of employing a radiant heater to heat the sole plate which results in a quick transfer of the heat from the resistor member to the upper surface of the sole plate and from there to the working surface thereof, as may be required during the ironing operation. By providing a space between the top of the refractory resistor supporting member and the inner surface of the cover member, the iow of heat from the upper surface of the heating element to the cover member is materially reduced, thus resulting in a relatively low temperature of the handle members.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and li desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically ,set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: l

1'. In an electric iron, in combination, a sole plate, a cover member therefor, a radiant-type heating element comprising a refractory heat-insulating resistor-support, a resistor, and a pair of terminal members removably secured to said refractory support, said terminal members projecting outwardly through an aperture in said covermember, a handle, handle supporting straps having one end secured to said cover member and a guard for said projecting terminal members integral with one of said handle straps.

2. In an electric .iron in combination, a sole plate, a cover member therefor, means for holding said cover member against said sole plate, a refractory heat-insulating member on said sole plate under said cover having a pluralitv of undercut grooves in its lower surface, resilient means actuated by said cover for holding saidrefractory mem- ALLIS M. MAOFARLAND. 

